Freezing Zucchini?
- Thread starter ELLENM
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Yes you sure can freeze it. I regularly do this. Just measure the amount you would use for a recipe into a bag and MARK the bag...(LOL) then toss it in the freezer. I always add a bit extra because when you thaw it out there will be a LOT of water to squeeze out and you lose a bit of bulk.
How you prepare your zucchini for the freezer depends on how you're going to use it. Mostly I shred mine. I do not pare the skin off. I pack it in zip-lock bags that hold about 2 cups. I use it in soups and stir-fry. When I make spaghetti, after I pour off the boiling water, I rip off the bag and dump the frozen shredded zucchini into the hot spaghetti. It breaks apart in no time with a little gentle stirring and keeps the spaghetti from sticking together. Then I pour in my spaghetti sauce and my cooked ground beef or meatballs. Now if it was just me, I wouldn't need to add meat, but I'm the only female in my household. It's OK to use shredded zucchini in zucchini bread recipes but if that's how you plan to use it, you might rather puree it. Pureed, you can slip some into your next boxed cake -- in place of the liquid called for. It will make your cake moist. The men in my household like shredded zucchini mixed with egg and some cracker crumbs and fried. You should drain off the liquid first, though, for this. I keep a freezer container in my freezer and I pour things in it that would make good soup -- extra liquid from green beans, potato water, left over bits of vegetables ... So if I have to drain the zucchini, I pour it into my soup stock container. A friend of mine brought her "favorite" recipe for yellow squash casserole (yellow squash and zucchini are interchangeable in recipes) and when I read the ingredients I kind of lost track of why we were preparing a vegetable at all. So much fat in it in the form of sour cream and mushroom soup! It was rich. I remember thinking, eating some at her house, how much better it would've tasted if it had been served as a sauce over noodles or rice.
What a great idea! There are so many time during the winter that I think the same thing (ok, a few times it's just with bacon grease) and have no idea how to save the liquid or bits ... thanks mamajones for a wonderful idea!
BTW ... I would have suggested the same idea as stated previously ... shred and measure into freezer bags the amount dictated by your recipe then freeze. We have 6, 2 cup bags of shredded zucchinni in our freezer for bread during the winter.
oldcampcook
Senior Cook
Make sure you mark the bags! I didn't and took out what I thought was some of my frozen pizza dough. After it thawed, I had to rush around and make some zucchinni bread!
VeraBlue
Executive Chef
There is way too much water content to make freezing successful. You'd be better roasting what you have, and then freezing...you'll get rid of some of the moisture, that way.
An even better suggestion would be to make lots of loaves of bread, and then freeze the bread, rather than the zucchini.
An even better suggestion would be to make lots of loaves of bread, and then freeze the bread, rather than the zucchini.
It works if its grated Vera, you just have to remember to squeeze out the excess water when you thaw it out to use it.
The only time I ever drain my thawed shredded frozen zucchini is when I'm gonna fry it. There are lots of vitamins and such in the water. If you feel like your zucchini bread batter is going to be too loose, reduce other liquids. If it calls for milk, use dry milk powder in the proper amount instead.
I put 40 bags of zucchini in my freezer this summer. There's no way I have time to make 40 loaves of zucchini bread and no place in my freezer to store it.
I put 40 bags of zucchini in my freezer this summer. There's no way I have time to make 40 loaves of zucchini bread and no place in my freezer to store it.
Constance
Master Chef
You have to treat frozen grated zucchini the same way you do frozen chopped spinach. Drain it in a colander, then put in a clean tea towel and wring it out.
It works beautifully for zucchini bread, zucchini cake, or zucchini pancakes.
I have also frozen sliced zucchini for frying, but it was a lot of trouble. I prepared them up to the point of putting in the frying pan, then froze them in single layers on waxed paper covered baking sheets. Once they were frozen, I stacked several layers in beer flats, covered with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and they were ready to go. They were delicate, though, and if they got pushed around too much in the freezer, the breading tended to fall off.
It works beautifully for zucchini bread, zucchini cake, or zucchini pancakes.
I have also frozen sliced zucchini for frying, but it was a lot of trouble. I prepared them up to the point of putting in the frying pan, then froze them in single layers on waxed paper covered baking sheets. Once they were frozen, I stacked several layers in beer flats, covered with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and they were ready to go. They were delicate, though, and if they got pushed around too much in the freezer, the breading tended to fall off.
I've been freezing shredded zucchini for years and love it for zucchini bread, pancakes, etc. I also freeze thick "rounds" for sauteeing and soups. Never had a problem using it after being frozen.
